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Is Your Workplace Missing an Employee Wellness Program?

Posted April 29th, 2016

The best employers understand that when employees are leading healthy lifestyles they are also highly productive members of the team. Yet, there are too many companies hesitant to start an employee wellness program because of the cost and time investment. According to the Harvard Business Review, the benefits of providing a corporate wellness program far outweigh any of these concerns. From reducing employee turnover and illness to providing attractive tax credits and discounts on benefit premiums, employee wellness programs can be highly beneficial to any organization.

Is your workplace currently missing a corporate wellness program for your employees? Perhaps now is the perfect time to launch one. Here’s how.

1. Identify the wellness needs of your employees.

Before creating a wellness program, be sure to understand the health and lifestyle needs of your employees. If they are working long hours, have little access to healthy outlets for stress, and a large portion of your workers smoke, a number of programs can be put into place to address these issues head on.

2. Create an employee wellness website.

Make it easy for employees to learn about ways to lead a healthy lifestyle by creating a centralized wellness website. Include wellness-related articles, tips, and tools to help them focus on managing their health better. Create a community where they can share their progress and get additional guidance.

3. Set up wellness support onsite.

As employees work on their wellness goals, employers can support this effort by setting up wellness services and facilities on the company property. A walking path can be established around the building. Or an unused office can be repurposed as a small exercise room or a break area where employees can destress. Include healthy snacks in vending machines and give out company water bottles.

4. Involve everyone in wellness.

Once employees are getting the idea about managing their own health, make it easier for them to support the wellbeing of their family and friends, too. Have a company celebration and invite everyone in the community to participate. Include healthy activities, nutritional foods and beverages, and host a 1k walk to support a local cause.

Wellness can be fun and it brings people together when an employer places emphasis on this as a core value of the culture. Use the above ideas as a starting point for your own employee wellness program.

If you need help building a healthy workforce, click to contact the employment specialists at TempStaff today!